logo
Analysis: Xi administration quick to tell civil servants they can drink

Analysis: Xi administration quick to tell civil servants they can drink

Nikkei Asia4 days ago
Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.
Chinese President and party boss Xi Jinping's administration has been forced to tweak an "alcohol ban" targeting party and government officials after facing a barrage of public criticism.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Japan PM Ishiba's approval rating hits new low of 32%: Nikkei poll
Japan PM Ishiba's approval rating hits new low of 32%: Nikkei poll

Nikkei Asia

time5 hours ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Japan PM Ishiba's approval rating hits new low of 32%: Nikkei poll

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to make a final decision on his future as early as August. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) Nikkei staff writers TOKYO -- The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet hit 32%, the lowest since his government's October 2024 launch, in the latest Nikkei/TV Tokyo survey. On the most suitable person to be the next prime minister, former Minister in charge of Economic Security Sanae Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, both of Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, tied for first place at 20% each. They were followed by Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party For the People, at 9%. Ishiba came in fourth at 6%.

SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise
SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise

Kyodo News

time10 hours ago

  • Kyodo News

SDF request led to nuclear threat scenario in Japan-U.S. exercise

TOKYO - The Japanese Self-Defense Forces strongly urged the U.S. military during a joint command post exercise last year to mirror any nuclear threat made by China with one of its own, government sources said Sunday. The United States ultimately complied with the request in the simulation exercise that envisioned a potential invasion of Taiwan by Beijing, raising concerns that Japan's push to invoke nuclear deterrence could exacerbate tensions between the United States and China. The request, the first of its kind in a Japan-U.S. joint exercise, was based on Japan's policy of reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for protection, suggesting that both Japanese government and SDF officials see Chinese nuclear saber-rattling as a real possibility in the event of a Taiwan contingency. The Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Japan and the United States named China as a hypothetical enemy for the first time in the computer simulation exercise "Keen Edge" in February last year. During the exercise, the U.S. Navy set up temporary bases in the Nansei island chain in the Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures in the initial stages of a Taiwan contingency, with the SDF providing logistical support. Later in the drill, the scenario assumed that China hinted at the use of nuclear weapons against the United States and Japan, but the U.S. side initially did not take any measures due to concerns over escalating the situation further, according to the sources. Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, ultimately acquiesced to repeated requests by Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of the SDF Joint Staff, for "the United States to counter with nuclear threats to defend Japan." Neither Beijing nor Washington used nuclear arms in the simulation. The two countries announced last December their first guidelines on "extended deterrence," often described as the U.S.'s commitment to using its full range of nuclear and conventional capabilities to defend Japan amid China's growing military activities and North Korea's missile and nuclear development.

China and EU: Differences over Economy, Security Stand Out
China and EU: Differences over Economy, Security Stand Out

Yomiuri Shimbun

time15 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

China and EU: Differences over Economy, Security Stand Out

The European Union and China are both dealing with pressure from the high tariff policy adopted by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. It appears to have been shown once again that even under such circumstances, the two sides cannot always promote cooperation unconditionally by putting aside their differences on the economy and security. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, which is the EU's executive arm, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council — a position equivalent to president of the EU — visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials. The summit talks were initially scheduled to take place in Brussels, where the EU's headquarters are located. However, after China proposed that Premier Li Qiang attend the talks, von der Leyen reportedly requested a meeting with Xi and decided to visit China. The EU side appears to have considered it vital to have direct dialogue with Xi, who has concentrated all authority in his hands in today's China, in order to resolve various issues. 'As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances. Rebalancing our bilateral relation is essential,' von der Leyen said during the meeting with Xi. Such remarks are meant to express the EU's frustration with some of China's actions, such as heightening economic coercion through trade. Specifically, the EU side expressed concerns over the influx into the EU of inexpensive electric vehicles manufactured with Chinese government subsidies, while also calling for abolishing export controls on rare earths that Beijing imposed in April. However, Xi said the challenges facing Europe do not come from China and criticized the EU for imposing additional tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Costa urged Xi to use China's influence to press Moscow toward a ceasefire. The EU has been concerned that China has effectively supported the ongoing aggression through such acts as importing massive amounts of oil from Russia while exporting to the country materials that can be used for military purposes. In the past, the EU was less cautious toward China, which is geographically distant, and rather tended to regard it as an important economic partner. However, the EU has seen China seeking to expand its influence on Europe through its Belt and Road Initiative, a vision to create a vast economic zone, and witnessed the country aligning itself with Russia, the greatest threat to Europe. Given the situation, the EU's perception of China has grown increasingly harsh. Anticipating a prolonged confrontation with the United States, China has shown its willingness to improve relations with the EU, particularly by growing closer to Hungary and other forces, which have taken a noticeably conciliatory stance toward China and Russia. Such moves to disrupt EU unity in an apparent attempt to divide the bloc will only deepen the EU's distrust further. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 27, 2025)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store